Fly on the wall – Fractions

I love being part of this amazing and supportive group of math bloggers, such a smart and creative group. Here is my brief insight into fractions:

I used to use catchy phrases to help my students remember the difference between numerator and denominator like “the denominator and down start with D so the denominator is down” so it’s the number on the bottom.

Now I choose to teach my students what the terms actually mean.

Denominator comes from nominate or give a name, denote, designate. A denomination extends that to naming or classifying a group that shares the same value, such as a religious group or the face value of money. So I tell them that the denominator names the fraction’s group that share an equal value.

The numerator signifies the number of the group. Also the little line that separates the two is called a vinculum, which means a unifying bond. So the vinculum connects the two. And this horizontal bar is used in future algebraic expressions.